3D Modeling and Performance Optimization of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Kelso Energy Limited制造垂直轴风力涡轮机（VAWT）。该公司旨在通过设计和制造具有成本效益和耐用的风力涡轮机来减少温室气体排放的影响，这些风力涡轮机可满足手机塔，孤立社区和研究中心，农业农场，小屋，牧场和许多其他独特应用的电力需求。Kelso Energy在加拿大大草原地区运营了三年，目前正在建设能力，以满足加拿大和国外更大客户群的需求。Kelso Energy正在重新设计和开发其5 kW VAWT的3D模型。这一努力将有助于公司克服重大的制造问题，包括产品质量不一致，制造时间较长以及由于缺乏标准化设计蓝图而进行的费力的设计修改。除了最初的设计挑战，VAWT的运行效率需要性能优化，这变得难以通过现场测试和试错方法来实现。对于风力涡轮机，设计和性能优化成为流体流动问题，这通常难以在实验室环境中使用小规模原型进行复制。因此，Kelso Energy正在与红河学院航空航天和制造技术访问中心（TACAM）团队合作进行3D建模，并使用计算流体动力学（CFD）分析和研究各种材料设计流体流动参数，以优化VAWT的性能。RRC的TACAM团队将利用学院在CFD、过程模拟和3D CAD建模方面的现有能力和专业知识来交付该项目。CFD研究的主要参数将包括风流、叶片角度和结构、转子尺寸、翼型配置等，目的是产生最佳设计参数，从而降低生产成本并提高产品效率。凯尔索能源公司是马尼托巴省新兴的中小型企业之一，优先致力于研究和开发活动。该公司有能力实施并进一步推进该项目的成果。学院团队期待着获得更多的知识（为学生/实习生的项目，研究人员和教师），这将是在未来的研究活动有用。

Kelso Energy Limited manufactures vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). The company aims at reducing the effects of greenhouse emission by designing and manufacturing cost-effective and durable wind turbines that meet the electricity demands of cellphone towers, isolated communities and research centres, agricultural farms, cottages, ranches, and many other unique applications. Kelso Energy has been operating in the Prairie region of Canada for three years and is currently building capacity for meeting the demands of a larger customer base in Canada and abroad. Kelso Energy is redesigning and developing 3D models of their 5kW VAWT. This effort will help the company to overcome significant fabrication problems including inconsistent product quality, longer fabrication times and laborious design modifications due to lack of standardized design blueprint. In addition to initial design challenges, operational efficiency of the VAWT requires performance optimization which becomes difficult to achieve by field testing and trial-by-error approaches. For wind turbines, design and performance optimization becomes a fluid flow problem, which is usually difficult to replicate using small scale prototypes in laboratory environments. Therefore Kelso Energy is partnering with Red River College's Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) team on the 3D modeling and to analyze and study various materials-design-fluid flow parameters for performance optimization of the VAWT using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). RRC's TACAM team will capitalize on the College's existing capabilities and expertise in CFD, process simulation and 3D CAD modeling to deliver this project. The major parameters of CFD study will include the wind flow, blade angles and structure, rotor dimensions, airfoil configuration, and others, with the aim of producing optimum design parameters that will lower production cost and increase product efficiency. Kelso Energy represents one of the progressive emerging Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Manitoba with high-priority commitment to research and development activities. The company has the capacity to implement and further advance the results of this project. The College team is looking forward to gaining additional knowledge (for students/interns on the project, research personnel and faculty) that will be useful in future research engagements.